Toy automobile controllable from a distance



Jan. 19, 1960 J. M. R. LEBLIC TOY AUTOMOBILE CONTROLLABLE FROM A DISTANCE Ffiled Aug. 3, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 19, 1960 J. M. R. LEBUC 2,921,408

TOY AUTOMOBILE CONTROLLABLE FROM A DISTANCE Filed Aug. 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 bvvnvroe Jacauar Mame/c:

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Jan. 19, 1960 J. M. R. LEBLIC TOY AUTOMOBILE CONTROLLABLE FROM A DISTANCE Filed Aug. 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TOY AUTOMOBILE CONTROLLABLE FROM A DISTANCE Jacques Maurice Robert Leblic, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. asslgnor to Librarie Hachette, Socit Anonyme, Paris, France, a corporation of France Application'August 8, 1957, Serial No. 677,016

Claim priority, application France April 26, '1957 Claims. (Cl. 46-244) My invention has for its object a toy automobile the movements of which are controlled from a distance, more particularly through the agency of a luminous beam. Said toy is driven electrically by a single supply of current, such as a dry cell or a storage battery feeding the propelling circuit and the steering circuit.

One of the main objects of the invention consists in the execution of an autonomous toy which is not connected with an outer feeding circuit and the movements of which are obtained through remote action.

My invention will be described hereinafter in accordance with a preferred embodiment given by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic side view of the toy automobile, its body being shown sectionally.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism carried by the chassis which latter is shown sectionally.

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram.

The toy vehicle illustrated includes a chassis 1 and a body 2 which are both made of molded plastic material and which are assembled through interengagement for instance, so as to form a sort of case enclosing the mechanism of the vehicle. The upper section of the body may be provided with a transparent cap 3 so as to cover the seats of the driver and of the passengers and the imitation switch board instruments while allowing same to be seen by the child playing with the toy.

The mechanism of the vehicle is bolted over the flat bottom 4 of the chassis which is provided with openings 5 and 6 for the passage of the two wheels 7 on the driving axle and of a third wheel 8 forming the steering wheel. One of the two wheels 7 is loose while the other wheel 7 is secured to the common driving axle 9 to provide a differential eifect, said axle revolving inside a casing 10 which is secured to the bottom 4 of the chassis and contains an electric motor and a speed reducing gear controlling the gear wheel 11 rigid with said axle. Above the casing are provided two uprights 12 and 13 rigidly secured, for instance, to said casing and to the bottom 4 of the chassis respectively and said uprights carry an upper casing 14 containing a further electric motor and speed reducing gear controlling a gear wheel 15 secured to thevertical pin 16 controlling the loose steering wheel 8. The two electric groups constituted by an electric motor and a speed reducing gear may be identical: each motor spindle carries a pinion 17 meshing with a gear wheel the teeth of which project forwardly at 18 with reference to the body of the gear which is coaxially rigid with a pinion 19 meshing with the gear wheel 11 or 15 according as to whether the motor considered is the propelling motor 20 or the steering motor 21. The two groups the axes of which are parallel are merely shifted angularly by 90 round their axis with reference to each other, the controlled gear wheels extending respectively vertically as shown at 11 and horizontally as shown at 15.

At one end of the toy vehicle, the bottom of the chassis ice is provided with a recess for a dry cell 22 serving as a supply of current for the feeding of the motors. A general switch 23 carried by the casing 10 may be actuated by a lever 24 projecting through a port provided in the body of the'automobile. On the bottom 4 ofthe chassis and laterally thereof is housed a relay 25 provided for the switching of the supply of electric energy from the propelling motor 20 to thesteering motor 21 under the control of a photo-cell 26 carried by a support 27 secured to the casing 10 and exposed to view through an opening in the chassis. An electric bulb '28 carried. by the upright 13 and appearing to view underneath the cap 3 serves as a resistance. for slowing down the steering motor 21L The circuit feeding the propelling motor 20 includes a reversingswitch 29 secured to the chassis and operating under the action of shocks. As illustrated, the movable. contact pieces of said reversing switch may be secured to a transverse member 30 carried by a longitudinal bar 31 sliding longitudinallyof the chassis and carrying together with a similar sliding bar 32 on the other side of the chassis a movable shock absorber 33 at either end of the toy vehicle. In a modification, the reversing switch may also be controlled through inertia.

The wiring diagram illustrated in Fig. 3 shows the supply of current 22 feeding through the agency of the main switch 23 two parallel branch circuits. One of said branch circuits includes a normally closed switch controlled by the relay 25, the reversing switch 29 and the propelling motor 20 while the other branch circuit includes the normally open switch of said relay 25, the resistant bulb 28 and the steering motor 21. The winding controlling the relay 25 is inserted in a third branch circuit in parallel with the two first branch circuits and passing through a transistor 34 controlled by the photocell 26.

When the general switch 23 is closed and the reversing switch 29 is in either of its operative positions, the propelling motor 20 is normally fed and drives the vehicle in either direction according to its direction of rotation as defined by the position of the reversing switch. If, during the progression of the vehicle, a luminous beam, produced for instance by a torch, is directed towards the cell 26, the transistor 34 fed by the latter allows current to pass so that the winding of the relay 25 is energized and its armature is drawn in so as to switch the supply 22 of electrical energy off the propelling motor 20 onto the steering motor 21. The first motor stops and the vehicle ceases being driven while the latter motor rocks the pin 16 so as to change the angular setting of the steering wheel 8 as long as the illumination lasts. As soon as the illumination is cut out, the steering motor 21 stops and the propelling motor 20 starts running again and causes the vehicle to run in the direction which has now been given to it by the steering wheel 18. If, during its progression, the vehicle abuts against a hindrance, the reversing switch 29 is operated and changes the direction of rotation of the propelling motor 20 so that the vehicle stops and starts again immediately in the opposite direction.

It is thus apparent that, through the mere operation of a luminous beam, it is possible to control the movements of the vehicle which reacts in the presence of light after the manner of a cybernetic apparatus. The extreme simplicity of the arrangement provided both from an electrical and from a mechanical standpoint is also obvious.

What I claim is:

1. A remote-controlled automobile comprising a chassis, drive wheel means supported on said chassis, steering wheel means on said chassis, a driving motor .operatively connected to said drive wheel means, a steering Patented Jan. 19, 1960 motor operatively connected to said steering wheel means for steerin rotation thereof, a single pole double-throw relay having a first contact connected with said driving motor and a second contact {connected with said steering motor, a battery connected to the pole of said relay nected to said bumpers and -in' circuit with said driving,

motor'forreversing the direction of rotation of said driving motor upon, a 'changein the positions of said bumpers.

.4j. A "remotcontrolled automobile 3 comprising "a chassis, drive wheel'means supportedon sa'idfchassis, ste'eringwheel means on said chassis, a driving motor operatively connected to said, drive wheel means, a steering motor operatively connected to said steering Wheel means for'steering rotation thereof, a battery, switching means for operatively connecting said battery 's equentially'and successively to said two motors, and means responsive to a signal for actuating said last-mentioned means.

5. A remote-controlled automobile comprising a chassis, drive wheel means supported on said chassis, steering wheel means on said chassis, a driving motor operatively connected to said 'dri've'wheel means, a steering motor operatively connected to said steering wheel means for steering rotation thereofl'a battery, switching means for operatively reciprocatively connecting said battery tosaidv two motors, and means responsive to a signal for actuating said switching means.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,399,667 Sladek, Dec. 6, 1921 2,593,941 Sciver Apr. 22, 1952 2,683,956 Conte July 20,1954 2,832,426 Seargeant Apr-.29, 1958' 2,838,876 Smith June 17, 1958 2,857,710 Brown Oct. 28, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 998,830

, France Septf26, 1951 

